Design Drabbles - Card combat framework
Tuesday, November 5th, 2024 01:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stepnixBig fan of card-based TTRPG systems, big fan of mapless tactical combat, finally had enough ideas come together that I feel like I have a mostly coherent baseline to iterate on
On your turn, take each of the numbered steps once, or skip to the next number:
1) Refill your hand
2) Play a position card.
a) The number of the position card determines your turn order starting next round
b) The suit of the position card determines your location relative to other characters on the battlefield. From close to far: same suit/same color/different color
c) To change the color of your position card you must play a higher number than your current card
3) Attack by playing a card and declaring a target.
a) If your attack card exceeds the value of your target's defense card, you may press the offensive by playing an additional attack card with a greater value
b) if your target's defense value exceeds your attack card, they may pick a random card from your hand
4) Choose your defense card and play it face-down
a) Reveal your defense card the first time you're attacked
b) If an attack card exceeds your defense card, after all follow-up attacks are resolved, discard your defense card and place a new defense card from your hand
This framework is obviously incomplete. We don't even know what attacks do from this, I'm not sure about the ordering or penalties, and some relatively obvious edge cases aren't covered at all (e.g. ties). But! I like the type of decisions this forces the player to make. Do I spend this card on attack or defense? Is it worth spending the resources to reposition? A game called Princess Wing is my main reference point for card-based combat systems, but I've also heard very interesting things about the recent His Majesty the Worm. There's good material to work with here.
On your turn, take each of the numbered steps once, or skip to the next number:
1) Refill your hand
2) Play a position card.
a) The number of the position card determines your turn order starting next round
b) The suit of the position card determines your location relative to other characters on the battlefield. From close to far: same suit/same color/different color
c) To change the color of your position card you must play a higher number than your current card
3) Attack by playing a card and declaring a target.
a) If your attack card exceeds the value of your target's defense card, you may press the offensive by playing an additional attack card with a greater value
b) if your target's defense value exceeds your attack card, they may pick a random card from your hand
4) Choose your defense card and play it face-down
a) Reveal your defense card the first time you're attacked
b) If an attack card exceeds your defense card, after all follow-up attacks are resolved, discard your defense card and place a new defense card from your hand
This framework is obviously incomplete. We don't even know what attacks do from this, I'm not sure about the ordering or penalties, and some relatively obvious edge cases aren't covered at all (e.g. ties). But! I like the type of decisions this forces the player to make. Do I spend this card on attack or defense? Is it worth spending the resources to reposition? A game called Princess Wing is my main reference point for card-based combat systems, but I've also heard very interesting things about the recent His Majesty the Worm. There's good material to work with here.
